Sheikh Ali Salman’s trial adjourned until October 15

The appeal process seeking to overturn the acquittal of Bahrain’s opposition leader Sheikh Ali Salman on espionage charges was adjourned on Wednesday until October 15.

AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): The appeal process seeking to overturn the acquittal of Bahrain’s opposition leader Sheikh Ali Salman on espionage charges was adjourned on Wednesday until October 15.

In June of this year, Sheikh Salman was cleared of “spying for the state of Qatar”.

But that ruling did not go down well with Bahrain’s Attorney General Osama Al–Awfi, who has since challenged the court’s decision.

The charges in the case stem from a well-documented mediation attempt during Bahrain’s 2011 pro-democracy protests, which was encouraged by Washington and resulted in communications between the regime in Manama, the Bahraini opposition as well as Qatar.

However, after Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates sanctioned Qatar last June, the nearly decade-old diplomatic initiative was suddenly painted as an act of treason on the part of the opposition.